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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects
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SSC Funding Request & Approval for ECE Lobby Displays
Associated Project(s):On February 28, 2021, Catherine Somers sent out an email to Professors Bruce Hajek and Philip Krein regarding the ECE lobby displays. As written in the exciting email:
"I have a bit of good news! The Student Sustainability Committee-funded lobby display which will eventually have interactive features to encourage energy savings, is taking shape. The kiosks and the touchscreen panel are installed and rotating informational slides. Joyce Mast continues to make excellent progress on the real-time display of solar energy production." -Catherine Somers
This approval follows suit after the Mast's submitted application for SSC funding for the lobby displays. In Step 2 of the funding application, $30,000 was requested from the...Expand »
On February 28, 2021, Catherine Somers sent out an email to Professors Bruce Hajek and Philip Krein regarding the ECE lobby displays. As written in the exciting email:
"I have a bit of good news! The Student Sustainability Committee-funded lobby display which will eventually have interactive features to encourage energy savings, is taking shape. The kiosks and the touchscreen panel are installed and rotating informational slides. Joyce Mast continues to make excellent progress on the real-time display of solar energy production." -Catherine Somers
This approval follows suit after the Mast's submitted application for SSC funding for the lobby displays. In Step 2 of the funding application, $30,000 was requested from the SSC for "Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECEB) Interactive, Energy Education/Production/Use Display."
See the attached file to view the SSC funding application.
CollapseWeekly Update: Bad weather slows down business
Associated Project(s):All, Last week’s weather was brutal and thus, very slow for us.
We made it through the bikes I picked up at the warehouse a week prior. A couple good ones and couple damaged-beyond-repair ones. Par for the course. Denver, a new volunteer, visited one day last week and worked his way through fixing up a bike. We got a couple bikes donated and then fixed up for the KBG (Kids Bike Giveaway)—can’t start too early! Some engineering students came in looking for parts for a class project to make some kind of small wheeled conveyance that moves like an inchworm? Something like that. Next time that happens, I’m giving out my contact info so they can follow up with the finished project—would be cool to have a collection of school projects that we...Expand »
All, Last week’s weather was brutal and thus, very slow for us.
We made it through the bikes I picked up at the warehouse a week prior. A couple good ones and couple damaged-beyond-repair ones. Par for the course. Denver, a new volunteer, visited one day last week and worked his way through fixing up a bike. We got a couple bikes donated and then fixed up for the KBG (Kids Bike Giveaway)—can’t start too early! Some engineering students came in looking for parts for a class project to make some kind of small wheeled conveyance that moves like an inchworm? Something like that. Next time that happens, I’m giving out my contact info so they can follow up with the finished project—would be cool to have a collection of school projects that we helped out with.
This week I’ve got some student staff interviews and new hire trainings to arrange, TBP meeting, NIRSA virtual conference, and will pick up more bikes. Saturday is going to break 50 degrees so maybe we’ll sell some bikes. The longer term forecast is trending warmer so we’ll see how that affects visit numbers.The numbers:
Visitors: 5
Sales: $109Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
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Campus Bike Center ManagerNewsgazette Mailbag about campus renewables
Associated Project(s):Renewable energy at the UI "How much power is each of the renewable (University of Illinois) sources generating? How many houses can each provide power for? Are there plans to add more than what we currently have? How many years does it take for the cost of each to be paid off? We have a growing interest in this and many homes now also have this."
Morgan White, the UI's associate director of Facilities & Services for sustainability, has all your answers.
As for power generation, she said that the UI's "on-campus solar arrays are now capable of producing over 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year and we purchase an additional 25,000 MWh/year from an off-campus wind farm in Illinois.
"For a more comprehensive answer:
"The (Illinois...Expand »
Renewable energy at the UI "How much power is each of the renewable (University of Illinois) sources generating? How many houses can each provide power for? Are there plans to add more than what we currently have? How many years does it take for the cost of each to be paid off? We have a growing interest in this and many homes now also have this."
Morgan White, the UI's associate director of Facilities & Services for sustainability, has all your answers.
As for power generation, she said that the UI's "on-campus solar arrays are now capable of producing over 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year and we purchase an additional 25,000 MWh/year from an off-campus wind farm in Illinois.
"For a more comprehensive answer:
"The (Illinois Climate Action Plan) 2020, objective 2.3.1 is: 'Use at least 140,000 MWh/year of clean power by FY25.' This objective is about clean power, which is different from clean thermal energy. As of 2020, there are three types of clean power options being pursued or used on campus.
"1. Solar Energy on Campus: installing solar photovoltaic panels on campus property
"2. Wind Energy on Campus: installing wind turbine generators on campus property
"3. Power Purchase Agreements for Clean Energy: purchasing solar or wind power from off-campus
"FYI, Solar Farm 2.0 is projected to produce 20,000,000 kWh/year. It began production at the end of January, so there will only be 5 of 12 months production in the FY21 totals (this current fiscal year)."
As for the number of houses each can provide power for, White said, "At Facilities & Services, we use the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) for the average power use in an American home. It currently says, 'In 2019, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,649 kilowatthours (kWh).”
"Thus, the FY20 clean power use on campus (30,635,993 kWh) was the equivalent of the power needed for 2,876 houses. Once Solar Farm 2.0 is operating for an entire year, that will be about 50,000,000 kWh/year of clean power use on campus, which is the equivalent to the power needed for 4,717 houses."
And about whether more generation will be added, she said: "The recently released Illinois Climate Action Plan 2020 (iCAP 2020) includes a goal for increasing clean power use to 140,000 MWh/year by FY25. We are currently having internal discussions at the University of Illinois about initiating a large off-campus solar power purchase agreement to meet this goal. We are also continuing to pursue clean thermal energy solutions, such as geothermal. Additionally, large construction projects on campus are required by the state law to be LEED certified, and this will often entail the addition of clean energy systems for individual buildings."
The payback period for each of these systems varies widely due to several factors, she said.
"For example, the geothermal system for the Campus Instructional Facility is projected to pay for itself in 28 years, while Solar Farm 2.0 is saving money in year one," said White. "For local projects off-campus these programs are very helpful: the Solar Urbana-Champaign program typically finds solar installations to pay for themselves in six or seven years, and the Geothermal Urbana-Champaign program typically finds a geothermal system at a residential home can pay for itself within 10 years."
https://www.news-gazette.com/toms-mailbag/toms-mailbag-feb-12-2021/artic...
CollapseWeekly Update: Bike Maintenance 101, Volunteer request, Cold and snow
Associated Project(s):All, Last Wednesday we had our first class of the semester: Bike Maintenance 101. We had one attendee, despite the bitter cold and snow, which was great. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the BC and our mission. We were able to use his bike as a tutorial of sorts for some of the basic repairs.
We had a new-to-the-university student come in on Thursday who has a strong bike interest and background. He expressed interest in volunteering and becoming more involved—always a welcomed response!
On Friday I grabbed 4 bikes from the warehouse and we will work those up this week. The cold and snow will keep things nice and quiet here, I’m sure.The numbers:
Visitors: 5
Sales: $262
Bike (refurb): 1 for $200
Membership: 1 for $30
Misc: $31
...Expand »All, Last Wednesday we had our first class of the semester: Bike Maintenance 101. We had one attendee, despite the bitter cold and snow, which was great. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the BC and our mission. We were able to use his bike as a tutorial of sorts for some of the basic repairs.
We had a new-to-the-university student come in on Thursday who has a strong bike interest and background. He expressed interest in volunteering and becoming more involved—always a welcomed response!
On Friday I grabbed 4 bikes from the warehouse and we will work those up this week. The cold and snow will keep things nice and quiet here, I’m sure.The numbers:
Visitors: 5
Sales: $262
Bike (refurb): 1 for $200
Membership: 1 for $30
Misc: $31
Thanks!Jacob Benjamin
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Campus Bike Center ManagerZero Waste SWATeam Meeting: 12 February 2021
Associated Project(s):The Zero Waste SWATeam met on Friday, 12 February to discuss the following:
- Presentation on Northwestern Reusable Dining Operations
- Plastic Bag Recycling
- CO2 Canister Recycling
- Hardhat Recycling
Attached Files:Seed Mix Approved for Solar Farm 2.0
Associated Project(s):University Landscape Architect Brent Lewis approved the attached seed mix for the Solar Farm 2.0 project.
Attached Files:Energy iCAP Team Meeting Minutes from 2-10-21
Associated Project(s):The Energy iCAP Team had a meeting on Feb. 10th where student member, Brinn McDowell, shared a presentation on calculated energy savings from green lab protocols that could greatly contribute towards energy conservation efforts. Updates were give on the Building Envelope Pilot Project, which is anticipated to start in March with several Energy iCAP Team students participating. Among other topics of discussion were ways to enforce compliance with state energy standards, to cooperate with student leaders across the Engineering, Architecture, and Design disciplines, and to condition vacated spaces in a time of distance-learning and -working. The agenda, meeting minutes, and chat log are attached below!
Weekly Update: Bike Maintenance 101
Associated Project(s):All, Slow week, of course. Housekeeping abounded: student staff meeting, an interview, safety checks.
This week we have our Basic Maintenance 101 class on Wednesday evening. Other than that, it’s business as usual. The extreme cold will likely keep people away but this week also marks a relaxing of COVID restrictions, so we’ll see how those two balance each other out.
The numbers:
Visitors: 10
Sales: $105
Misc: $60
Thanks!Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center ManagerOpen House for SSC
Associated Project(s):The Student Sustainability Committee Open House
The Student Sustainability will be hosting an Open House event on Monday, February 8th at 6:00 PM (CT) via Zoom. We invite you and hope you can invite a friend to attend this exciting event. Students will discover more about the committee members, working groups, and be part of a general member. For now, join our SSC group chat, Discord! Scan the QR code and the event to this flyer.
February 8, 6 pm • Zoom Event
Student Sustainability Committee • Student Engagement
Pollinator Pocket Map for Campus
Associated Project(s):The attached file is the updated pollinator pocket map for campus
Attached Files:SSC funded the Building Envelope Pilot Project Phase 1
Associated Project(s):On December 5, 2020, the SSC approved $30,000 in support of the Building Envelope Pilot Project Phase 1. This project is also funded by the Carbon Credit Sales Fund for an additional $30,000. The key contact is Morgan White at F&S.
Attached Files:Local Solar projects shared at CCNet brownbag
Associated Project(s):CCNet hosted several local solar panelists in January 2021. This Zoom meeting was also shared via Facebook Live:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=429039901765435&ref=watch_permalink
- Scott Tess for Solar Urbana-Champaign (https://www.growsolar.org/solar-urbana-champaign/)
- Lauren Barchi, with Nexamp, for community solar (https://www.nexamp.com/community-solar)
- Jim Bustard, with Parkland College (https://www.parkland.edu)
- Morgan White University of Illinois solar projects (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/.../solar-energy...)
- Sushanth Girini for University of Illinois Solar Farm 2.0: https://fs.illinois.edu/.../utilit.../production/solar-farms
Join the CCNet mailing list to gain access to the Zoom and stay...Expand »
CCNet hosted several local solar panelists in January 2021. This Zoom meeting was also shared via Facebook Live:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=429039901765435&ref=watch_permalink
- Scott Tess for Solar Urbana-Champaign (https://www.growsolar.org/solar-urbana-champaign/)
- Lauren Barchi, with Nexamp, for community solar (https://www.nexamp.com/community-solar)
- Jim Bustard, with Parkland College (https://www.parkland.edu)
- Morgan White University of Illinois solar projects (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/.../solar-energy...)
- Sushanth Girini for University of Illinois Solar Farm 2.0: https://fs.illinois.edu/.../utilit.../production/solar-farms
Join the CCNet mailing list to gain access to the Zoom and stay connected. http://eepurl.com/g8IM
(video link corrected on 2-2-2021)
CollapseRegistration Closing:Kyushu-Illinois Strategic Partnership Colloquia Series
Associated Project(s):Join us on Feb.1 at 6pm for an exciting workshop highlighting the collaborative relationship between Illinois and Kyushu University faculty on the development of global CO2 recycling technology towards “beyond-zero” emission. This effort is within the framework of the Moonshot Program in I2CNER at Kyushu funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan.
Global Relations • Global Relations
This opportunity is available online
Weekly Update: Prospective student employees
Associated Project(s):All, Things were uncharacteristically busy at the tail end of last week, highlighted by two prospective student employees coming in. They were both really excited by what we do here at the Bike Center. Always good to see enthusiasm and it was a nice glimpse of hopefully where we’ll be post-pandemic: fostering enjoyment, excitement and knowledge about bikes!
Got a student staff meeting, interview, and bikes to build this week.
The numbers:
Visitors: 14
Sales: $371.50Memberships: 1 for $30
Bike (refurb): 1 for $200
Misc: $18
Thanks!Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center ManagerScope Change for Pollinator Awareness Sign
Associated Project(s):The following scope change was submitted to SSC for the Pollinator Awareness Sign:
Originally, there were no signs at all on campus showing how pollinator friendly the campus is. Now there are four; and the University is now considered part of Bee Campus USA. Now we want to add a bigger sign outlining the bee campus student organization, progress the campus has made, and changes the university implemented to be more pollinator friendly. This sign will include an acknowledgment of the SSC funding for the signs and for several of the pollinator friendly plantings around campus.
The funding does not need to be increased, but we are requesting a schedule extension of one year. The design of the sign is anticipated to take at least one...Expand »
The following scope change was submitted to SSC for the Pollinator Awareness Sign:
Originally, there were no signs at all on campus showing how pollinator friendly the campus is. Now there are four; and the University is now considered part of Bee Campus USA. Now we want to add a bigger sign outlining the bee campus student organization, progress the campus has made, and changes the university implemented to be more pollinator friendly. This sign will include an acknowledgment of the SSC funding for the signs and for several of the pollinator friendly plantings around campus.
The funding does not need to be increased, but we are requesting a schedule extension of one year. The design of the sign is anticipated to take at least one month, so that students can assist with the content development, then the sign will be ordered, and since it may be winter –time when the sign is ready for installation, we may not be able to install it until the spring thaw. Please approve an extension to May 2021.
Read the Scope Change in its entirety in the attached files below.
CollapseAttached Files:SSC Semester Report Fall 2021
Associated Project(s):Please see attached the Fall 2021 Semester Report for the Building Envelope Project.
Congratulations to ISSS for Green Office Certification!
Associated Project(s):Congratulations to International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) for achieving Gold certification in December 2020!
Congratulations to two certified chapters!
Associated Project(s):Congratulations to Zeta Beta Tau for achieving gold certification (November 2020) and Triangle Fraternity for achieving silver certification (November 2020)!
SSC Semesterly Report: Let It Flow (Control the Flow)
Associated Project(s):SSC received semester report for Fall 2021 for Let It Flow (Control the Flow) project on 1/20/2022. Please see attached.
Attached Files:
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